


Potent Potions

by hannelore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Marauders' Era, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-02
Updated: 2003-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-28 15:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannelore/pseuds/hannelore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus has an unexpected admirer and he doesn't know how to handle the attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Potent Potions

Frank glanced over to his lab partner after he'd finished slicing his daisy stems. Severus had a frog pinned to a dissection tray. Frank watched in disgusted fascination as Severus put the frog's brains in a small bowl.

"I don't remember Professor teaching us how to do that," Frank said. Severus shrugged and slit the frog's stomach open. Frank turned away and pretended to consult the parchment on the table. Severus snorted as he peeled back the skin and pinned it open to the tray.

"Don't you want gloves for that?"

"Longbottom, are you going to talk through this entire process?"

Frank leaned his elbows and forearms on the table, pretending not to be nauseated.

"I'm interested, that's all."

"You're prattling on," Severus said without looking up from his work. "It's annoying."

Frank sighed and scraped his daisy stems into the cauldron. Lily had begged him to switch with her when she'd found out she'd been paired with Severus. Frank had watched him in class and found he was quite good at Potions. That was, he was good at potions until the Professor had praised Severus in class. Soon after that, Frank noticed Severus always managed to do something to muck up his work.

"What should I do next?"

"Cut the ginger roots, if you can manage that much."

Frank picked up his knife once more and started chopping the roots. He looked sideways at Severus to see him make certain, precise cuts. Frank didn't know why the boy interested him. To listen to Potter, you'd think he was as bad as --

"Ow!"

Frank jerked back his finger where the knife had slipped. Automatically, he brought it to his mouth. Severus caught Frank's wrist in the instant Frank's arm moved up. Frank looked at him with surprise.

"What the --"

"Add it to the potion," Severus said.

Frank blinked in confusion, but he saw something he'd never gotten a good look at before. Severus' interest upon his fingertip was such that Frank almost forgot to exhale. Beads of blood welled to the surface of the cut and Severus guided Frank's hand above the cauldron. Both boys watched as the blood glided down Frank's fingertip, clinging to the precarious edge until it dropped into the simmering water.

Frank looked from Severus' hand to his face, which made Severus release his wrist as if he'd been burned.

"Adds to the potency," Severus mumbled.

Severus turned back to the disemboweled frog. Frank felt his heart thudding in his chest, he could still feel Severus' fingers around his wrist. His prick twitched. Why the hell had he said yes to Lily? He knew he couldn't avoid this.

"You know, I wasn't supposed to be your lab partner," Frank said, hating the tremor in his voice. Severus shrugged.

"I know," he said. "I suppose Evans thought I might poison her."

Frank laughed, but his laugh sounded stupid to his ears.

"Probably," Frank said.

"What makes you think I wouldn't?" Severus looked at Frank with a smirk. His fingers held the scalpel just so. Frank thought it odd the boy's fingernails were stained yellow. There was dirt underneath his fingernails as well. Even so, Frank wanted to take those fingers into his mouth. He wondered what kind of sound Severus made when he felt pleasure.

This is wrong, he thought. Really and truly wrong.

Frank thought Severus held the scalpel like a dancer's arm. Guiding, leading. When he finally found his voice again, Frank spoke.

"I dunno, would you?"

"I might."

"You wouldn't," Frank said. Severus tossed the frog's heart into the cauldron as if by afterthought.

"You so sure?" Severus said.

"Why would you do something like that?"

"You're a fool," Severus said. He shook his head. Another soft splash into the cauldron. Liver, Frank supposed.

"You believe I'd poison her because I'm Slytherin, you're Gryffindor," Severus said. He sneered at Frank as he snapped off one of the frog's legs. It made a sickening sound between a squelch and a crunch.

"You're just doing that to put me off," Frank said. "That's first year nonsense. Quidditch rivalries."

Severus hesitated, then shrugged nonchalantly and set the frog's leg into the cauldron.

"I told her I'd be your partner because I wanted to," Frank blurted out.

Severus looked at him. His gaze was cold.

"What, so you could report back to Potter?"

"You're a fool if you think that, Snape."

Severus started cleaning up the frog carcass, unpinning the spread skin. Frank drew in a breath and walked behind him.

"Why did you grab my wrist?"

Even from behind, he could see Severus stiffen. The boy was hunched, always hunched. He set his hand upon the lab table. He turned to the side, his hooked nose in profile.

"I told you, blood makes the potion more --"

"You could have told me to do it."

"You were about to put your finger in your mouth."

"You grabbed me."

"Longbottom, don't be an idiot."

Frank touched Severus' arm. The boy felt skeletal underneath. Skinny, stupid Snivellus, Potter said. Severus pulled back and whirled around.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

Frank had never seen his own panic mirrored as it was in Severus' eyes. For one hopeful moment, his heart rose.

"I get it," Severus said. "Who's outside the door with the camera? Potter? One of your other mates?"

"There's no one," Frank said, angry. He wasn't as tall as Severus, but he drew himself up as tall as he could. Frank glared at Severus but the boy didn't speak. He stood against the table as if he wanted to back away further.

"Who are you going to tell, Severus?"

Severus looked uncertain, the mocking look having faded with Frank's hard stare.

"What do you mean?"

"Who are you going to tell to make fun of me?" Frank stammered.

Severus shook his head.

"I've no one to tell," Severus said.

Frank started to reach for his hand, but Severus pulled it back.

"You don't want this," Severus said.

"I want you."

Severus moved away, shaking his head. "You're mad."

"I'm a fool," Frank admitted with a weak grin.

The two watched each other and Frank realized that Severus wasn't going to say anything. He wasn't going to let Frank get any closer either.

Frank went around the table and started to put his things away. He wiped his knives clean and put them in their individual sheaths, wrapping up the hard leather and tying it closed. He felt Severus' gaze on him as he did. He always wondered what it felt like, to feel someone watch. Frank looked at Severus, who looked away.

"Sorry," Frank mumbled as he started for the door.

"Longbottom."

Frank stopped.

"You tell anyone about this and I'll poison you."

Frank looked at the cold exterior of the boy so feared and despised by his house mates. The curtain of black hair that shadowed his eyes.

"You've poisoned me already, Snape."

Frank closed the door behind him, leaving Severus with his thoughts and the simmering potion.


End file.
